The Portland daily press., 1887-02-23

above indicated and the board so finds and
there was evidence tending TO show that the
ether cars were also OF the rails before the
bridge was reached, but upon this point the
board has reached no conclusion and II re-
CARDS this as incidental only 10 its findings;
that the opening Of the throttle Of the loco
motive by the engineer, as he saw the rear
of the train falling, detached the mail car
from the train behind 1t, and saved the re-
mainder Of the train from Wrecking. The
board regards 1t due to the corporation, as
well as to the public, to state also that from
the evidence before 1t 10 appears, and the board
hnds that the defect In the rail which
caused the derailment was OF such eharac-
disclosed by the breaking OF the iron,
Upon the subject OF recommendations the
D0aru are not yet prepared TO report fully
Inere Is no ground Of doubt that many who
perished IN this accident would have been re-
leased from the wreck had 1t not been for
stove fires and oil lamps which ignited the
varnlSh, paint, drsperieS, and other cOmbus-
tible material almost as soon as the crash
came, and caused suffocati0n and burning Of
those who were pinned underneath the rub.
Passenger cars must be heated in some way
In our ATTITUDES or winter travel must cease.
How can this be done with a minimum Of
danger to life in case Of wreck? IL Is al
ready the belief Of the board that the intro
duction OF steam heating and electric light
Ing OF cars Is not likely TO be much longer de-
Ierred, although their adoption In any known
methods which at present exists are not un-
attended with danger in certain classes Of
accidents. The subject Is undergoing at this
TIME more thorough and promising investi-
cations and experiments than ever before by
tne legislatures at Albany and Boston and
elsewhere, and by boards Of commissioners,
inventors and railroad experts, and the re-
suits OF practical tests now promised will af-
ford the only safe eriteria for intelligent rec
ommendation for adoption by our roads.
Unless some better system Is adopted
by the roads Of the State before
another winter, as at present advised
the adoption of steam heating from the loco
motive or other device without ares in the
cars will be recommended by the board.
And we do now earnestly recommend to
officials OF all roads Of the State In behalf of
the corporate as well as the public interests
that they give special attention to this sub
1ect by conference with the officials Of the
roads with which they have connection or
business relations, and by affording an op-
portunity for experiment upon such inven-
tons as seem TO present promise
OF value IN the direction OF safety from fire
and suffoeation in cases Of derailment and
collision. The subject Of the want Of a
guard rail upon the approach to the bridge
has been called to our attention. On view Of
the fact which we find, that a want Of such
rail In no wise contributed to this accident
and the existence Of such rail In this case
would not have prevented the same, we do
not feel called upon to make any recOmmen-
datlon In regard thereto at this time, but it
seems proper to advise all railroad compa-
nles OF the State to take into consideration
the most approved methods in vogue any
wnere Tor the better equipment Of their
-Drldge approaches where needed with strong
Dutresses, haring safety beams, or other
practlcal devices to diminish the fatality of
this class Of accidents. Such reasonble pre-
cautions should be taken before, rather than
after the occurrence of any calamity.